Child detainees

An average of 700 Palestinian children (under 18 years old) from the West Bank are arrested, interrogated and detained by the Israeli military each year. The most common charge against children is throwing stones, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

There are no special interrogation procedures for children detained by the Israeli military, nor are there provisions for an attorney or even a family member to be present when a child is questioned.

A majority of children report being subjected to ill-treatment in Israeli detention. Most children report that they are physically or verbally abused. Sexual harassment and abuse is also prevalent during interrogations. Forced confessions are often extracted this way, and children are often compelled to sign confessions in Hebrew, a language most of them don’t know.

Israel’s arrest and detention of Palestinian children violates numerous international conventions and treaties designed to protect the rights of children.